Salawaat
Love expressed
A moment in time
His soul stirs
Mine illumined
Peace be upon you
Messenger of Allah
Peace be upon you
Beloved of Allah.

Ahmad
The Praiseworthy One
Written
On the Canvas of Time
And on the lips
Of every lover
Salawaat
And in their hearts
A longing desire
To gaze upon the face 
Of Al-Mustafa
The Chosen One

I have searched
Endlessly for you
Set foot in numerous
Towns and cities
Travelled to far-away places
Each time I’m turned away
You won’t find him here
They say

I’ve looked for you
Amongst the turbaned men
In prayer rows
With perfect bows
and prostrations
Their voices
Were not yours
Their faces
Devoid of smiles

I’ve seen the traces you’ve left
In mosques and marketplaces
A destitute being fed
An orphan cared for
An elderly woman
helped to cross the street
A youth
Soul conflicted
Bowing in prayers
Fleeting images
But enough to know
That the goodness
You taught
Still endures.

I entered the forest
And stood amongst
The giant redwoods
I journeyed across
the desert
Between sand dunes
I sat by the stream
And heard
The quiet murmur
Of water over rock
And everywhere I turned
I felt your presence

Distance and Time vanish
When your name is mentioned
And the chorus of salawaat
Like songbirds
On a spring morning
Brings joy to the heart.

Stop trying to be a poet
They said to me.
I’m confused.
How does the moon
Stop it’s journey
Across the night sky?
And the seedling
It’s upward push
Until it breaks free
And emerges into
The sunlit world?

My artist’s brush
Is moved to paint
Images on the canvas
Of my mind
Perfumes of Jannah
Riding on your back
Happy to be their camel
You lengthened
Your prostration
The martyr of Karbala
A child in an oversized robe
Eyes only for you
As you spoke on the pulpit
You descended
Swept him up in your arms
Pulled him to your chest
Defying the Bedouin’s boast
A necklace, and a gold ring
For Umamah
The apple of your eye
Boundless love
You are
Unmatched in
Beauty and Praise!
And now billions of hearts
Are moved by images
Etched on the canvas
Of their minds